Friends of Stockers Lake - Work party reports

It started dry but gradually got wetter but that didn’t prevent more good clearance work to remove shade on the lake edge at the Springwell Lane end of the reserve, including a nice bit of dead hedging. Jack and Ray also piled logs to ensure that people use the gate rather than going round the side at the footpath entrance.

Another jolly good turnout to continue the job we started in October, namely clearing the south-western shore of the lake and allowing vegetation to develop and flower. This was a good place to talk to passers-by to give them the message about Stocker’s Lake and if possible, to recruit some new members.

On a beautiful, sunny Autumn morning, we enjoyed the second work party of this end of the year. We worked on the western bank of Stocker’s Lake near the wooden bridge between the river and the lake.

We have enjoyed two great recruitment days, either end of the glorious summer. Both days were extremely well supported by fellow members who gave freely of their time and worked very hard in getting over 80 new members to join our ranks over the two days. The sun shone on both days and Russell, our Recruitment officer organised and briefed the members making sure there was enough tea/ coffee and biscuits to share even amongst our new recruits.

The first work party of the season and a good turnout – 14 in all. Our job was to rake and collect the long grass cut by Rob Hopkins in the fenced area at the end of the causeway that separates Stocker’s and Bury lakes. For some reason Rob hadn’t cut as large an area as usual, so, for the first time in living memory, we finished the work party by midday. This was the first work party since we moved our tools from Stocker’s House garage to the fishermen’s shed nearer Springwell Lane. We still met at Stocker’s House, but the tools had to be loaded into the van during the week before.

We returned to the scene of our last work party to continue clearing the rubbish from the strip of land between the Uxbridge Road and the metal bridge over the River Colne. And what rubbish! We filled three large builders bags with hard and soft plastics, tins, glass and large pieces of metal – all nicely separated ready for disposal. To get at it we had to cut down a high bramble patch which doubtless will regrow. We also picked up loads of dog poo plastic bags. I wish people wouldn’t do that. At any given time, there are probably 100 of these bags discarded in our reserve. We also cleared rubbish on the other side of the river. Now we need access to a public dump, as we are regarded as ‘corporate’ and not allowed to use the Rickmansworth public tip. What nonsense.

We also set up a tent to do some membership recruitment. Unfortunately, as it was rather wet we did not get very many passers-by. But we did recruit one paid up new member and two or three people expressed real interest.

Splendid work by Russell Ball, Emma Brading, Steve Cohen, Nigel Daley, Ken Davies, Peter Ewer, Tony & Sheila Lee, Eileen Petch, Paul & James Sumner (James doing his Duke of Edinburgh Awards) and Ian Watson. (See photo above.)

Emma Brading

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Work Party - 2 Dec 2018

Work Party - 4 Nov 2018

Work Party - 7 Oct 2018

Recruitment Drive - Sundays 20 May & 9 Sep 2018

Work Party - 2 Sep 2018

Work Party - 8 Apr 2018